Ch. 746..750: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 746-750
Chapter 746
"Nothing you can do?" Vincent had fully expected his company to go down eventually. But he didn't expect it to be so fast. He thought the company could float with negative revenue for at least a year.
But it was only three months since his very first public scandal, and his company was already on the brink of collapse.
"This isn't right," Vincent said. "It shouldn't take this fast for the Gray company to go down. It has a long history, and we've maintained our reputation for ages."
"It's because of one rival company, Sir," Nigel said. "Golden Star has been extremely aggressive to fight us. They are making alternate products of everything we have, and they cut their prices for at least 30% less from us. On top of your… dwindling reputation, the public opinion shifts and they decide to get brand new and cheaper products."
"Golden Star…" Of course, Vincent knew who was behind this attack.
It was none other than his little brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray.
He thought that Vernon was his loyal dog, so Vincent didn't mind sharing his inheritance with him, knowing that Vernon would be grateful and become even more obedient and fiercely loyal to him.
Who would've expected that dog could bite his own master's hand?
"My little brother, huh?" Vincent murmured. "He knows that my reputation has been destroyed right now. He also knows that I am currently dealing with heartbreak after knowing my beloved wife is going against me. What an opportunistic bastard."
Vincent scoffed.
While feeling all sorts of regrets towards Chloe, he felt zero ounces of pity or regret towards Vernon.
It was pure hatred now, especially after knowing Vernon was ready to destroy him and their father's company.
Vernon was selfish and destructive. He acted like he had worshiped Vincent, but he was scheming against him behind his back.
"All of my business partners went to Golden Star as well?" Vincent asked.
"Yes, Sir, at least 90% of them shifted to Golden Star," Nigel said. "I am sorry, Sir. But the company will have to file for bankruptcy in about two months if we can't do anything to salvage this problem."
"Sir, I'm asking you to take the CEO seat again and start working on this problem. Everyone is waiting for you," Nigel persuaded.
"Yes, Mr. Gray. Everyone is waiting for you, I am waiting for you…" Khloe finally opened her mouth. She looked sincere, and that gave a bit of hope in Vincent's heart.
Because he kept seeing her as Chloe, even though he knew it was just an illusion to make himself feel better.
He sighed and said, "I am a broken man. I don't have any more fighting spirit knowing that Chloe is not here, and she planned everything just to destroy me. The feeling of getting betrayed by your one and only beloved crushed me until I can't get up."
Nigel and Khloe looked helpless. They had guessed that Mr. Gray would refuse to take the CEO role after what happened. He was still shocked, but they had no more time to let him recover because the company was about to be destroyed.
Vincent understood their worries and said, "Rather than filing for bankruptcy, try to find someone who is willing to buy and acquire the company. You can make it cheap, knowing it's on the brink of collapse anyway. It's better than to let it file for bankruptcy and get destroyed because I can't be there."
"Sir, it will take a long time for us to find someone willing to do it. No matter how cheap it can be, there is no way someone would buy a huge company like this without long consideration," Nigel said. "Though, there is indeed one person who has been offering to buy the whole company, but I don't think you'll like to hear his name, Sir."
"Vernon?"
Nigel nodded reluctantly.
"He is the only one who is willing to buy and merge the company. At this point, we have no other choice than to comply with his request to save the company," Nigel said. "The choice is in your hand, Sir. Either we let him acquire the Gray company, or let it file for bankruptcy and get destroyed in only months."
Vincent felt nothing but anger and disgust towards his opportunistic little brother, who kicked him when he was at his lowest.
But he had to admit his defeat at this point. He didn't care about the company anymore, but it was still his father's legacy.
If he could save it, then he would. It was the least he could do to repay that bastard late father for teaching him the wrong way to keep your woman.
Thus, Vincent took a deep breath and ordered, "Send a formal invitation to his company, tell him that I want to meet him in my office, and we will talk about the acquisition."
Nigel was relieved that Mr. Gray could admit defeat and allowed Vernon Phoenix Gray to purchase and merge the company.
"Certainly, Sir. I will be contacting his secretary as soon as possible. Please excuse me," Nigel bowed respectfully at the now-defeated man and left the room.
There were only Vincent and Khloe in the Master bedroom right now.
She sat next to him at the edge of the bed and then gently placed her hand on top of his as a comfort, "I'm sorry that it ends like this, Mr. Gray. I tried my best to help, but I'm too inexperienced…"
"… you did your job, Chloe," Vincent said. "It's not your fault. It's all on me. I am the one who screwed up really badly here."
Khloe slowly rested her head on Vincent's arm and said, "Even if the company has been merged and you lost everything, I will stay by your side, Mr. Gray."
Vincent's heart felt warm. He knew it was just an illusion, but in his mind, right now, this was the other 'Chloe' he needed.
She was a substitute that he needed since the real Chloe was missing.
"Thank you for everything, Chloe. Stay by my side, please."
"I will, Mr. Gray.."
Chapter 747
Diamond was busy with her usual work when she suddenly got an email from none other than the Gray Company.
"Hm, don't tell me that they're finally agreeing with the offer. I mean, it's obvious that they're in a difficult situation right now, but this is too early to give up, right?" Diamond murmured. She had a little expectation in her head since their plan was going on the right track, so she opened the email.
She did a quick read, and her eyes widened instantly.
She then made a second, more-careful read and almost jumped out of her chair excitedly.
"OH MY GOD!" Diamond's voice echoed loudly around the floor, shocking Vernon and Chloe, who currently stayed inside the CEO's office.
They rushed out to check if Diamond was alright and were greeted with the sight of Diamond doing a little dancey-dancey while staring at her computer monitor.
Chloe and Vernon looked at each other, and Chloe was the first to snap her out of her little dancey-dancey.
"Um, Diamond, are you alright?"
Diamond turned her head towards Chloe and Vernon, and she rushed to hug Chloe.
"OMG, homegirl! It's a success! The whole plan to cut all of the way out for the Gray company is a success!" Diamond said.
Chloe had very little understanding of what was happening, but she knew that Vernon and Diamond were working to ensure the Gray company was destroyed.
So she glanced at Vernon, asking for an explanation, and he then cleared his throat to warn Diamond, "Stop hugging her too tightly, Diamond. She is pregnant."
"Oh, sorry, girl. I'm just too excited!" Diamond quickly released her hug and took a step back. "Anyway, Sir, you should read the email on my computer screen right now. It's great news for all of us!"
Vernon nodded.
He bent his back to read the email on the screen, and his eyes widened. He had the same reaction as Diamond, minus the little dancey-dancey, because he still had to keep at least a bit of his dignity.
"Have you checked if this is from their official email?"
"Yes, Sir. This is an official email. They also said that they are ready to discuss the acquisition as soon as possible," Diamond said. "I will prepare all the documents today, Sir. You can go tomorrow if that's what you want."
Chloe could grasp one thing or two from the tidbits of their conversation, so she asked, "Does Vincent… finally give up on his own company? How can it be so quick?"
Diamond and Vernon turned their heads toward Chloe at the same time. Vernon replied, "The Gray company is on the verge of collapse in such a short time because of Vincent's scandal that broke the media, and also because I've been actively making products that are cheaper than the ones produced by the Gray company."
"I've also poached most of his business partners to the point that he basically has almost zero chance to recover," Vernon said. "Without any backing, an overly competitive rival, and a ruined reputation, Vincent and his company are doomed to fail."
Chloe didn't know how to feel about this.
She was happy, of course.
But at the same time, she felt sad for those who worked for the Gray company because there would be a massive layoff that could affect so many families.
But Chloe knew the downfall of the Gray company was important for her to finally gain her freedom.
Chloe stared at Vernon, who looked excited as he was reading the email on the computer screen, and then he said, "Vernon, um… is it absolutely necessary to destroy the company?"
Vernon frowned as he stared at Chloe, "Of course it is very important. We need to root Vincent out of his power completely so he won't be able to fight back. Isn't that the point?"
"I—I know, but…." Chloe began worrying as she imagined all those innocent families that would be ruined due to financial stress.
"Just spit it out, Chloe," Vernon said. His voice got a bit colder because he thought that Chloe still had some pity for Vincent.
No matter how often Chloe assured him that he was the love of her life. He still couldn't believe her completely.
Whenever Chloe remembered Vincent, Vernon would get super jealous and irritated.
"I—I just thought that maybe you shouldn't go too harsh on the company…" Chloe said meekly. She had to be careful when threading about this sensitive conversation because the subject of Vincent would often turn into an argument between them.
"We have to do this, Chloe," Vernon insisted. "Don't be soft on them. This is the ticket to your divorce and our marriage."
"But I don't want to hurt so many people…"
Diamond quickly caught the stupid tension between these two.
She could only sigh, knowing how bad their arguments could be.
Based on her observation, her boss was very lenient and obedient to whatever Chloe said, but he became hard-headed and prone to anger whenever the topic was about Vincent.
"Oh come on, why are you two arguing over stupid things," Diamond rolled her eyes. She stared at her boss and said, "Chloe is just worried about those employees at the Gray company. She's afraid there would be a massive lay off that would hurt thousands of people and their families."
Diamond turned to Chloe, "Girl, be clearer towards your soon-to-be husband. You know how stubborn and sensitive he could be when it's about Vincent. But you should know that Mr. Phoenix Gray already told me before that you'll worry about those employees, that's why he won't 'destroy' the company. He will instead acquire the whole company and merge it with this one, so there would be no significant layoffs, probably only for a few people at the top to ensure that we will have no saboteur or a mole."
Chloe was astonished. She then asked Vernon, "Is that true?"
Vernon nodded.
He was a little ashamed for acting cold towards his beloved, "Yes, I know you'll be upset if I destroy so many people's lives. That's why I plan to buy the Gray company instead."
Chapter 748
Diamond rolled her eyes, "Geez, you two need to work on your communication. It's so ridiculous how a stupid argument could end up becoming a huge one because of a misunderstanding."
"S—Sorry, I was just unsure if he will be mad or not…." Chloe said.
"Why would I be mad?" Vernon intercepted. He walked towards Chloe and held her hand tightly. "You know that I did everything for you. I know that you will be distressed knowing there will be thousands of people who'll lose their job, so I decide to just merge the company instead of disbanding it."
"It's just… sometimes I get irritated thinking that you will leave me for that bastard. I will never allow that to happen, it gets me angry that bastard is still in your mind sometimes," Vernon said.
"Vernon…" Chloe and Vernon stared intimately at each other. They were going for a kiss before Diamond grabbed their shoulders and yelled;
"Get a room, you two. I have a lot of documents to work on here!"
Chloe chuckled, "Okay then, thank you so much, Diamond."
"Don't mention it, Girl. It's part of my job and I love doing it," Diamond assured. She looked at her boss and asked, "Sir, do you want me to prepare some documentation for Chloe and Vincent's divorce?"
"Yes," Vernon nodded. "Prepare for my meeting with him, and prepare for Chloe's divorce paper. This is the right time to strike."
"Got it, Boss."
**
Chloe and Vernon returned to the CEO's office with a strange feeling of embarrassment between them.
Diamond was right. They really needed to work on their communication because they often fought over very small things.
"So, um… how about Vincent?" Chloe asked. "Will you let him stay as the CEO of the Gray company?"
"I assure you that I will make sure there won't be a huge lay off. I will still weed out Vincent's loyal workers, the ones who are on the top of the company, and that includes Vincent himself," Vernon said. "I will fire him, and replace him with one of my subordinates as the one in charge of the whole company."
Chloe sighed in relief. She was glad that Vernon wasn't planning on something malicious.
"Then, how about the divorce? You told Diamond just now that she should prepare all the divorce papers," Chloe asked.
"I will go to meet Vincent tomorrow. We will talk about purchasing the Gray company, and I assure you that I WILL have him sign the acquisition documents," Vernon said. "I don't want to miss the chance, while I'm busy with Vincent, you should go with Diamond to the court and file for the divorce petition."
Chloe had no more hesitation. She knew Vernon was doing all he could to dissolve her marriage, and she had to take her part.
"You should bring Meyer with you. You need a bodyguard or two while you're with Vincent. We don't know what kind of trap he will lay, so it's better to stay guarded," Chloe said. "I will go with Diamond to the court, and I will tell you later once I'm done with it."
Honestly, Vernon preferred Chloe to be guarded by Meyer instead of him. Because Meyer had the skill and strength of ten adult males, he should be more than enough to protect Chloe from any harm.
But at the same time, he also wanted to trust in Chloe's judgment.
"Fine then, I will go with Meyer and you will go with Diamond. Don't forget to tell me everything, and be safe, we don't know if Vincent still had some witch hunt against you," Vernon said.
Though he said that Chloe would only go with Diamond, he wouldn't take any risk. He would still send at least four more men to tail her car later to ensure Chloe was safe.
How about him?
'Hah, I can slap my big brother in the face and he won't even be able to do anything,' Vernon sneered. 'I doubt he will do anything against me though. He's a defeated man at this point.'
**
"Good morning, Mr. Gray, today is an important day for you. Please have breakfast first."
Vincent opened his eyes once he heard Khloe's voice.
He wished that Khloe had the same voice as Chloe, but she didn't.
She might have tried to imitate the way Chloe spoke, but she still couldn't match her in any way.
Chloe's soft voice made him want to snuggle with her in bed for the rest of the morning.
She had this voice that comforted him whenever Vincent was upset, which was apparent when they were still young adults.
Chloe was bright and cheerful, but she knew how to calm him down whenever he was angry at anything, which was quite common, because Vincent took over his late father's personality, making him prone to outbursts for the slightest reason.
"Mr. Gray…"
Vincent finally reacted when Khloe walked with a tray of food for his breakfast.
He had been staying inside his room a lot. He didn't want to go out unless it was absolutely necessary. His heart had been crushed, and so did his will to live.
He kept thinking about the real Chloe, and the only reason he allowed Khloe to take care of him was that he could at least get a phony one to serve as a substitute for the real Chloe.
But he knew—even Khloe knew—that his heart was reserved only for the real Chloe for the rest of his life.
But that didn't stop Khloe from falling in love with Vincent.
Khloe put the folded table on the bed and served breakfast for Vincent.
He also noticed that Khloe had begun to imitate what the real Chloe usually would make, but the taste was absolutely horrendous anymore.
compared to Chloe's cooking.
Unfortunately, rarely tasted Chloe's cooking anymore after they got married. He just felt that Chloe was too good at making a homemade cook. He thought she would start sharing her delicious home meals with other men when he wasn't at home, which made him crazy jealous to the point that he discarded his logic.
So it was better to destroy her confidence completely by feeding her homemade food to the dogs, so she wouldn't even dare to cook anymore.
Chapter 749
Nevertheless, Vincent still ate breakfast while imagining the taste of the food that the real Chloe usually made.
"Sir, today is a big day for you. Please be prepared because… because you will sign a lot of legal documents to give the ownership of the company to Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray," Khloe was a little worried that Vincent might change his mind.
But Vincent only nodded in silence. He ate his breakfast without much excitement. He was annoyed that no matter how hard he tried to remember the taste of Chloe's cooking, he seemed to start forgetting about it.
'Damn it, it's been almost a decade since the last time I tasted her homemade food. I can't remember the taste anymore,' Vincent complained. He was mad because he had forgotten, and he was even madder knowing that he wouldn't be able to taste it for the rest of his life.
After an unpleasant breakfast, he got up from the bed and took a hot shower to start the day. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the shower, but he opened it in less than ten seconds.
He kept imagining Chloe.
Every time he closed his eyes, Chloe and her gentle smile would appear in his mind, taunting him because he wouldn't be able to touch her again from now on.
Vincent gritted his teeth and yelled, "Get out of my mind, Chloe. You left me, so you should leave my mind as well!"
Of course, there was no answer from anyone. Vincent was alone in the bathroom, and he began to cry as the loneliness in his heart began to eat him up from the inside.
He sobbed because he knew he would lose everything today. He would lose his company, his power, and with the loss of his power, he knew that he had no more way to find Chloe.
"Chloe… my wife…" He murmured as he stood under the hot shower for a while, letting the water wash away all of his tears and sadness.
He walked out of the bathroom and put on the suit that had been prepared by Khloe.
He frowned when he saw the style that Khloe chose.
Again, it was a reminiscence of how Chloe would prepare a suit for him to look dapper in a non-flashy way, "That woman really learns how to be Chloe's replacement, huh?" Vincent scoffed as he couldn't help to mock her attempt. "Should I give her an applause for trying to imitate Chloe? It's getting ridiculous."
Nevertheless, he still wore the suit that had been prepared and left the mansion with a car he drove himself.
It had been a while since he drove the car by himself. It felt somehow liberating knowing today would be the last day as the CEO of the Gray company.
"I will be a regular man after I sign whatever contract Vernon has for me," Vincent murmured as he drove to the company.
He imagined himself as a free man without the responsibility that his late father bestowed on him since he was very young.
And somehow, that imagination brought a smile to him.
"I will be free."
**
Vernon walked out of the elevator after reaching the top floor of the Gray company, followed by Meyer, who acted as his bodyguard. He followed Priscilla into the CEO's office.
He expected his Big Brother to look defeated, or maybe he would look so pissed knowing that Vernon had defeated him.
Nevertheless, those two expressions would be fun for him to see.
But what he didn't expect was Vincent, who smiled at him. Vincent stood in the middle of the CEO's office and said, "Good morning, Vernon. It's been a while."
…
Vernon frowned, "Why are you smiling like an idiot? You know that you're about to lose your company, right?" He asked without hesitation, knowing that Vincent wouldn't be able to fight back at this point.
"I know very well this would be the end of my career as a CEO, but at the same time, I am quite happy because I will be able to finally rest from the path that our late father carved for me," Vincent said. "I can finally leave all of the pressures that he gave me since I was very young."
Vernon didn't like how calm he was. He expected Vincent to cry until his tears turned into blood. He wanted Vincent to curse at him, telling Vernon to die and rot in hell.
'Well, this is a little disappointing,' Vernon thought. But he proceeded with what he wanted to do here and said, "I've prepared all the documents needed for the acquisition. Of course, we will have to involve lawyers, et cetera. But by signing all the documents that I will give you, that means you already transferred the ownership of this company to me, Big bro."
Vincent nodded without hesitation. He said, "Why don't we sit for now, let me read all the documents you brought and see if it fits."
Vernon and Vincent sat on the sofa face-to-face. Meyer was standing behind Vernon, while Priscilla was standing behind Vincent.
Meyer put the stack of documents on the long table and said, "You should check it first, don't worry, I have all the time to wait so you can sign them."
Vincent nodded. He opened the documents one by one and made a quick skim of the whole thing. Priscilla—now Khloe—also did the same to help her boss.
Vernon stared at his Big brother for a while and then asked, "Do you not realize the severity of your situation, Big bro? You're about to lose everything, your career is done for. You will have nothing!"
"I know," Vincent replied while his eyes were still on the documents. "I know that it's all over, Vernon."
"So what's with you trying to act calm? I thought you'd be devastated knowing that you've failed your father," Vernon continued taunting his Big brother, wanting to get a big reaction from him. He had been waiting for more than a decade to get his revenge, and he wouldn't be satisfied until Vincent turned insane.
Chapter 750
Vincent finally stopped reading. He looked up and stared at Vernon, who smirked at him, liking every second of Vincent's pain.
Vincent knew that Vernon wanted to humiliate him. He wanted Vincent to glare at him with hatred as if he couldn't wait to kill Vernon, who ruined his life.
Vernon wanted Vincent to show his suffering, so he could laugh at him.
Unfortunately, Vincent already felt dead inside. He had already cried so much under the shower because he wouldn't let Vernon have the satisfaction he had searched for.
"You really want me to cry and beg?" Vincent asked.
The edge of Vernon's lips raised, and he admitted without hesitation, "Indeed, I want you to cry and beg so you can keep your position as the CEO. I know that you must've been heartbroken, right, Big bro?"
"After all, you kicked me out of the Gray family when I was only fifteen because you don't want competition. You also destroyed my relationship with Big sis Chloe because you thought that I might snatch her from you."
Vincent finally put the document down. He sat straight while staring at Vernon and then confessed, "Yes, I did kick you out of the family because I don't want competition, and I had a cahoot with Dad to force Chloe into saying things that would hurt you, so you will leave her alone."
"But you know what? I regret nothing of those, Vernon," Vincent said. His words were still cold and heartless despite his defeat. "What I did is absolutely necessary for the sake of the company. You know there can't be two winners at the same time, right? Since I am the winner, then you shouldn't be mad that I get all the good things in life, not you."
Vernon's smirk disappeared instantly, "You're such an asshole, Big bro. You know what you did is wrong, but you still refused to admit it because of your damn pride."
"It's not wrong, what I did is absolute necessity," Vincent insisted.
Vernon's lips thinned. He knew it was difficult to break Vincent, but Vernon was still pissed because it didn't seem any of his intimidation worked.
"Besides, if you want to see me broken, then you are too late, Vernon," Vincent said. "I've already gone through that hysterical heartbreak phase once I realized that Chloe is actively going against me. She actually wants me to be destroyed, she wants me dead."
"I was so heartbroken once I knew that I'd been betrayed by my wife. I cried in my nightmare for a whole week, and for now…." Vincent sighed, and he returned to the documents again. "I have no more will to fight, Vernon. You can say whatever to me. You can tell shit about me, but I won't fight back, because I know I've lost against you, and most importantly, I've lost my beloved wife forever."
Vernon went silent for a while. He was angry because Vincent didn't seem to be too affected by the whole thing, and he was also angry at him because he dared to claim Chloe as his beloved wife, even though all he did was just abuse her.
for ten years straight. You never did anything good to her, and that leaves her with a physical and mental trauma."
"That's funny, Big bro," Vernon said. "You told me that you love her, but you never treat her right. I know that you've been abusing her for ten years straight. You never did anything good to her, and that leaves her with a physical and mental trauma."
Vincent didn't know how Vernon knew about all this, but he just assumed that Vernon had a private investigator to check. After all, it was obvious that Vernon had been planning to destroy him since the first day he returned to New York.
"You're wrong, Vernon," Vincent denied. "I love her, more than anything. But I know that she will go around and cheat when I'm not around, so I have to make sure that she will obey me no matter what, so she won't cheat."
"So you beat her up?"
…
Vincent's heart was aching as deep down, he knew he was wrong for beating and humiliating Chloe, but he had never been taught another way to love someone.
He watched his father beat his mother so badly until her face was all blue. He also watched how his late father humiliated his mother until she became hysterical.
Ultimately, his mother became a very obedient woman, spending her time drinking, using drugs, and collecting useless gems to fill the void in her heart. It was already a miracle that she survived up until now.
But at least his mother never cheated on his father. She was his entire body and soul, and he wanted to do the same for Chloe.
"That is the way I love her," Vincent said. "I want her to be ruined, like a broken doll that wouldn't fight back no matter what I did to completely loyal to me. That's what our father taught us."
"You're just so soft because you've been taught by Chloe on how to her. In the end, she won't dare to fight back, and she will be completely loyal to me. That's what our father taught us."
"You're just so soft because you've been taught by Chloe on how to be a kind person," Vincent's eyes showed disgust, knowing that his little bro didn't have the same idea in mind. "This is what happens when you're being raised by a lowly woman. You begin to act like a peasant, you don't have the noble aura in you anymore, Vernon."
"BASTARD!" Vernon snapped once Vincent dared to call Chloe a peasant. He grabbed Vincent's collar and got up, forcefully pulling Vincent until he had to stand up as well.
But there was a gap between their height, so when Vernon pulled his collar even higher, Vincent was left hopeless when his feet couldn't touch the ground.
"As expected, a bastard like you doesn't deserve to live," Vernon said. He remembered all the forgiveness that Chloe still wanted to give to Vincent. Despite being abused for ten years, she still thought Mackie deserved to connect with her biological father once Vincent turned over a new leaf.
Chloe was so full of love, but this bastard… this bastard deserved NOTHING of it!